Woman sues city, police over encounter with officer

November 18, 2013 7:25 PM

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

A victim of a former Pittsburgh police officer who offered women legal breaks in exchange for sex acts filed a federal lawsuit today saying the officer, the city and several bureau administrators violated her civil rights.

The woman says that the city knew in 2005 that Adam Skweres, 36, of Lincoln Place, failed his psychological examination before it hired him to become a police officer. The suit also says that the city erred in allowing Mr. Skweres to work as an officer after it received complaints against him in 2008, three years before the woman's encounter with Mr. Skweres.

The lawsuit names as defendants, Mr. Skweres, the city of Pittsburgh, former police chief Nate Harper, Zone 3 Commander Catherine McNeilly and an unnamed supervisor in the Zone 3 station where Mr. Skweres worked.

City solicitor Daniel Regan said tonight that his office is still reviewing the complaint and he does not yet wish to comment in detail.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette does not typically name the victims of alleged sex assaults without their consent.

The woman claims Mr. Skweres, then an officer, came to her home in December of 2011 to discuss ways she could obtain bail for her fiance, who had been arrested on a drug charge while police investigated a domestic dispute. The woman's suit says that Mr. Skweres told her to strip, asked her to engage in a sex act with him and -- after she refused -- said he would leave "If you drop your shorts and bend over."

Pittsburgh police charged Mr. Skweres with soliciting sex acts from five women, including the woman who filed suit today.

Mr. Skweres pleaded guilty to bribery, coercion, attempted rape and other crimes earlier this year and is currently serving a 3 1/2 to 8-year prison sentence, which will be following by 10 years of probation.